Door-operating mechanism



Jan. 28, 1930.

J. A. BRUB AKER DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed April 11, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1' Zlwvenlioz \L/m BrubaKen Jan. 28 1930. v J. A. BRUBAKER 1,744,823

DOOR OPERATING HECHANISI Filed April 11. 1927 s She6$B-Sheet 2 Jo/m AIBruba/fer:

" Jan. 223, 1930.

J. A. BRUBAKER DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Apr 11 11. 192'? s Sheets-Shee 3 Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE JOHN A. BRUIBAKER, OI TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HAUGHTON ELEVATOR &

COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION O! 0310 noon-ornmurme ME-cmmsu' Application filed April 11,

This invention relatesto door operating mechanism which has been devised with a special reference to its use in connection with elevators, and which in the form herein shown is es eciall adapted to the operatorque motor preferably .located above the door. Suitable means are provided for stopping movement of the mechanism when the door reaches the limit ofits movement in either direction. The motor is so wound that when it becomes stalled by reason of the door reaching the limit of its movement or meeting with some abnormal obstruction, it may stand in that condition for five or ten minutes, or longer, with the current on, w1thout any injury to the motor. 7

Another object is to provide improved shock absorbing means to overcome the inertia of the operatingmechanism at either limit of its movement, and to prevent the gearing from sticking at the initiation of the reverse movement.

Accordingto. the invention, the doors are operated through the medium of lever mechanism, soarranged as to effect a slow starting and stopping movement of the doors, and when the doors are fully opened, this mechanism is entirely out of the way so as not to obstruct the opening.

The invention consists further in various improved details of construction and the relative arrangement of the same, the objects and advantages of which will be more particularly pointed out inconnection w1th the accompan ing drawings illustrating one embodimentt ereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a doorway with the invention associated therewith, the doors being shown inclosed position; Fig. 2 is a similar view with the doors in open position; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the doorway and the parts associated therewith; Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line 4:4.- of Fig. 3, and on a larger scale; Fig. 5 is an enlarged 1927. Serial No. 182,700.

detail view showing the adjacent ed es of a pair of doors and the connection of the operating mechanism therewith. Y

In its present embodiment, the invention is shown associated with an elevator'shaft 1 which extends past a series of floors 2. On each floor there is a doorway 3 opening into the shaft, and adapted to be closed by a pair of doors 4 and 5, which are guided for vertical sliding movement on tracks 6 and 7, respectively. As shown, these doors are disposed in different lanes so that each door in opening is ada te to slide past the door on the adjacent oor, but may be disposed in the same plane where the ceilings are of sufficient height.

The lower door 4 has a ledge 8 secured to its upper edge and extendin across the plane of the upper door 5, thus orming an abutment against which filler strip 5* of the upper door engages when closed. The upper door 5 also has an angle bar or ledge 9 seoured to its lower edge and extending across the plane of the lower door. The doors are supported bysprocket chains 10 arranged at the sides of the doorway. Each chain 10 is connected at one end to the angle bar 9, and at the other end to the upper edge of door 4. The intermediate portion of the sprocket chain passes over an idler sprocket wheel 11, mounted on a stud 12, which is located inside of the shaft wall just above the doorway. Thus it will be seen that one door acts as a counterbalance for the other, and that it requires only a small expenditure of power to open or close the doors. Each sprocket chain 10 is provided with a turnbuckle 13, or other suitable means for adjusting the length thereof.

The door operating mechanism includes a rock shaft 14 mounted in a block 15 secured in the upper edge of the doorway. A lever arm 16 is secured to the inner end of the rock shaft 14 and carries a roller 17 at its free end. This roller rides in a track 18 secured to the angle bar 9, so that when the shaft 14 is rocked the door 5 is raised or lowered, with a corresponding movement of the door 4. -A comparatively short arm 19 is secured to the outer end of the rock shaft 14, and by means of this arm the shaft 14 is rocked to o n or close the doors. The arms 16 and 19, with the rock shaft 14, therefore, constitute in effect a single lever, the rock shaft being the fulcrum.

The war for '0 rating the doors is furnished ga reversib torque motor 20. While all motors develop a certain amount of tor ue, the term torque motor is commonly un erstood in the art to designate a motor which can be stalled for an appreciable length of time, while connected to the full wer supply, without injury to the motor. uch a motor is intended to perform the work of a magnet and not to run continuously. It is in such a sense that the-term torque motor is used in this specification. A motor which develops a torque of four pounds at a distance of one foot is suflicient to operate doors weighing several hundred unds. The motor 20 is mounted on a brac et 21, which is secured to a base 22, sup rted'by a latform 23 near one side of the oorway, an hi h enough so that it ofl'ers no obstruction to t e opening when the doors are wide open. The motor is provided with the usual shaft 24 having a pinion 25 secured thereto and meshing with gear 26 secured to a counter-shaft 27. This countershaft is mounted in suitable bearings in a housing 28 supported by the casting 22, and within the housing 28 the counter-shaft 27 is saovided with a worm 29. The worm 29 we aworm gear 30, which is secured to a transverse shaft 31. An arm 32 secured to the shaft 31 is connected by a pitman 33 to the arm 19 of the rock shaft 14. The pitman 33 is made in two sections, which are connected by clips 34, so that the efi'ective length of the pitman may be adjusted to regulate the extent of the movement of the doors.

The arm 32 is extended rearwardly to form a heel 35, which is provided at each side with a nose 36, adapted to en age a sto 37 as the mechanism approaches t e limit 0 its movement in either direction. Each stop 37 is slidably supported in an ear 38 formed on the casting 22, and is held normally in its up most position by a comparatively stron coi ed spring 39. ese spring suppo stops 37 act'as buffers to gradually overcome the inertia of the mechanism toward the end of its movement.

It is to be understood that the switch controlling the motor 20 is normally open, but

may be moved to actuate the motor in. either direction for opening or closing the doors, as the case may be. The switch will ordinarily be held closed until the doors complete their movement, and as the nose 36 comes into contact with the stop 37, the mechanism will come to a stop, and t e motor will become stalled.

The motor is so wound that it cannot be injured even though the current passes through it for five or ten minutes after the movement has been completed. If the motor is to be -42 when the door 5 is closed.

driven by 110-volt alternating current, the rotor must have a very high resistance and is preferably of the squirrel cage type. Theprimary winding should be of very small wire and proportioned so as to give a low enough magnetic density not to cause overheating when the motor is stalled for an appreciable length of time. If the motor is driven by direct current it is necessary to use a very fine wire in both the field and armature with a sufficient number of turns so that there is enough resistance to keep the current down to a value that will not cause overheatin under the conditions indicated. When t e motor is stalled there is no counter-electromotive force induced or generated, so that this high resistance is nry to limit the current. In buildin the motor the standard mechanical parts of a commercial motor may be used. In order to adapted it for the urpose indicated, the rotor is wound so that the torque at standstill is at a maximum over its range of operation as a motor. Then the primary winding is designed to produce a m etic density low enough for the uired con itions.

The s ring hildstops 37 not only act as bufl'ers, ut serve an important function in preventing the worm gearing 29, from becoming stuck. Experience has demonstrated that in theabsence of the springs 39 the gearing would become stuck so that the reverse movement could not be started by means of the motor. When springs 39 of suflicient strength are provided, however, such sticking cannot occur, and upon turning the switch to the reverse position the motor will immediately initiate the movement of the mechanism in a reverse direction.

' The electric circuit for o ratin the elevator is rovided on each lan ing wifii a switch, as in icated at 40. The switch is located in the path of a In 41 projecting from the heel so that as 516 arm 32 moves from the full line position shown in Fig. 4 to the dotted line position, thereby closin the doors, the lug 41 engages switch an closes it, thereby making it possible to operate the elevator if all the other doors are closed. Whenever the doors at any landing, however, are opened, the switch 40 opens automatically and makes it impossible to start the elevator until the doors are again closed.

As illustrated, the door 5 is spaced from I the wall of the shaft in order to provide space for the o ning movement of e door 4 on the next oor. This leaves a peway as indicated at 42 leadin into the elevator shaft from each floor. 11 order to close this passageway and prevent draughts, a flap 43, is givoted to the u per edge of the door 5 an normally exten across the gases eway e ap is normally held in this position by a counterweight 44. As the door 5 is moved u wardly', the flap 43 engages the inclin strip 45 which is usually secured to the lower edge of the door 4 above. Thus the flap 43 is tilted downwardly to ermit the door 5 to overlap the door 4.. on return of the door 5 to closed position, t 1e counterweight 44 automatically restores the flap 43 to horizontal position. Thus it will be seen that the doors always effect a comparatively close fit with the sills at the edge of the doorway, effectively preventing an upward draught, and thereby eliminatin re hazard.

It will be noted idiat the track 18 by which the roller 17 is guided, is secured to the usual angle bar which closes thecrack between the two doors when they are closed. Consequently, the device for operating the doors offers no obstruction whatever to the opening, when the doors are opened. The result will be, then, that at the beginning of the opening movement the end of the arm 16 travels in a path which is nearly horizontal so that the opening movement is slow. During the intermediate part of the opening movement, the speed of movement reaches its maximum. Toward the end of the opening movement, the end of the arm 32 is travelling in an almost vertical path so that the movement is slow. Likewise, in closin the doors the starting and stopping will e slow.

From the foregoing description, it will be seenthat I have provided a door operating mechanism which is simple, practical and reliable, and may be operated by a comparatively small torque motor. This mechanism may be advantageously used for operating heavy doors in freight elevator shafts, or in any other structures where such doors may be used. Although very little power is used to operate the doors and a considerable amount of inertia is developed by their movement, this inertia will be effectively overcome by means of the springs 39, without permitting the worm gearing to become stuck.

While I have shown and described the invention particularly with refernece to sliding doors, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the adaptation shown and described, but may be modified to a considerable extent and adapted to various other uses without any material departure from the salient features thereof as expressed in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a door operating mechanism, thev combination of a shaft, a reversible torque motor geared to said shaft, means operable by the partial rotation of said shaft in one direction to open the door and in the other direction to close it, and yieldable stops limiting the movement of said shaft in either direction while the power is still applied thereto, said motor being so wound that it may be stalled without becoming overheated.

2. The combination with a door, of mechanism connected therewith and operable in one direction to open said door and in the other direction to close it, a reversible torque motor connected with said mechanism to operate the same, and yieldable' means. to stop said mechanism while the power is still on as the door approaches the limit of its opening, or closing movement, said motor belng so wound that it will not become overheated if it is stalled either by said mechanism coming in contact with the stops or by some abnormalobstruction in the path of the doors or the operating mechanism.

3. In 'a door operating mechanism, the combination of a shaft, a reversible torque motor, gearing connecting the motor at all times in driving relation to said shaft, means operable by the partial rotation of said shaft in one direction to open the door and in the other direction to close it, and yieldable stops for gradually checking and stopping the movement of the shaft in either direction while the power is still applied to the shaft, thereby serving to overcome the inertia of the operating mechanism without causing the gearing to stick when-the power is turned on to initiate a reverse movement.

4. In a door operating mechanism, the combination of a rock shaft having a movementof approximately 90, a lever arm se-' cured to said rock shaft, means connected with said arm to open or close the door as said shaft is rocked, operating mechanism connected to said rock shaft, a worm drive for said mechanism, and stops for limiting the movement of said operating mechanism in either direction, said stops being yieldable to gradually overcome the power which drives the moving parts and to prevent the worn drive from sticking when the power is reversed.

5. In a door operating mechanism, the combination of a rock shaft, a long lever arm on said shaft engageable with the door to open or close the same as said shaft is rocked, a short lever arm on the rock shaft by which the same may be rocked, a pitman connected to the end of said short arm, a counter-shaft having a crank arm connected to the other end of the pitman, a reversible worm drive a for said counter-shaft, and means cooperating with said counter-shaft for stopping its rocking movement in either direction as the door approaches the limit of its movement.

6. In a door operating mechanism, the combination of a shaft having a crank arm at one end, power means for rocking said shaft in either direction, means connected with said crank arm for opening the door when the shaft is rocked in one direction and forclosing the door when the shaft is rocked in the other direction, and means for yieldably limiting the movement of the mechanism without disconnecting the power therefrom as the door approaches the end of its opening or closing movement, said mechanism constituting a positive connection between the nism while the power 15 still on, as t e doors ap roach the limit of their movement in e1 er direction, said motor being so wound that it may be stalled without becoming overheated.

8. The combination with a doorway, of a pair of doors for said doorway arranged to counterbalance each other and slidable vertically in opposite directions, a lever fulcrumed at the upper edge of said doorway and havin a long arm and a short arm, a track attac ed to the lower edge of the upper door, means carried by said long arm and guided by said track to open or close the doors assaid lever is actuated, and means connected with said short arm and operable to rock said lever in either direction to open or close said doors, said lever and the operating. means connected therewith being so arranged that the will, in all operative positions thereof, be ocated substantially within the zone defined by the lines along which the side edges of the door slide.

9. The combination with a doorway, of a vertically slidable door therefor, a lever fulcrumed at the upper edge of said doorway and having a long'arm and a short arm, a track attached .to the lower edge of said door, means carried by said long arm and guided by said track to open or close said door as said lever is actuated, and means connected with said short arm and operable to rock said lever to open or close said door, said lever and the operating means connected therewith being so arranged that they will, in all operative positions thereof, be located substantially within the zone defined by the lines along which the side edges of the door slide.

10. The combination with a doorway, of a slidable door therefor, a lever fulcrumed at the edge of the doorway, past which the door slides in opening, said lever having a long arm and a short arm, a track attached to the edge of the door remote from the fulcrum of the lever, means carried by said long arm and guided by said track to open or close the door as said lever is actuated, and means connected with said short arm and operable to rock said lever to open or close said door, said lever and the operating means connected therewith being so arranged that they will, in all operative positions thereof, be located substantially within the zone defined by the lines along which .the side edges of the door slide.

11. The combination with an elevator well having a doorway, of a pair of doors for said doorway arranged to counterbalance each other and slidable vertically in opposite directions a lever fulcrumed at the upper edge of the doorway, means operatively connecting the lever to the bottom portion of the upper door, and means for swinging said lever to open or close said doors, said lever and the operating means connected therewith being so arranged that they will, in all operative positions thereof, be located substantially within the zone defined by the lines along which the side edges of the door slide.

12. The combination with an elevator well havin a doorway, of a vertically slidable door t erefor, a lever fulcrumed at the upper ed 7 of the doorway on the side opposite the we 1, means operatively connecting the lever to the bottom portion of said door, and means for swinging said lever to raise or lower the door, said lever and the operating means connected therewith being so arran ed that they will, in all operative positions t ereof, be located substantially within the zone defined by the lines along which the side edges of the door slide.

13. The combination with a doorway, of a pair of doors therefor arranged to counterbalance each other and slidable vertically in opposite, directions, a lever fulcrumed at the upper edge of said doorway and having a long arm and a short arm extending therefrom, a track attached to the lower edge of the upper door, means carried by said long arm and guided b said track to open or close the doors as sai lever is actuated power operated mechanism connected to said short arm for moving the same to or fro to 0 or close the doors, and means for stopping the movement of the mechanism in either (11- rection, said lever and the operating means connected therewith being so arranged that they will, in all operative positions thereof, be located substantiallyX within the zone defined by the lines along w ich the side edges of the door slide. a

14. The combination with a doorway, of a pair of doors therefor arranged to counteralance each other and slidable vertically in opposite directions, a lever fulcrumed at the upper edge of said doorway and having a long arm and a short arm extending therefrom, a track attached to the lower edge of the upper door, means carried by said long arm and guided by said track to open or close the doors as said lever is actuated, 'a pitman connected with said'short arm, a shaft having a crank arm connected with said pitman, and means for rocking said shaft in either direction to open or close said doors.

15. The co'mbination'with a doorway, of a pair of doors therefor arranged to counterbalance each other and slidable vertically in opposite directions, a lever fulcrumed at the upper edge of said doorway and having a long' arm and ashort arm, a track attached to the lower ed e of the upper door, means carried by said ong arm and guided b said track to open or close the doors as sai lever is actuated, a pitman connected with said short arm, a shaft having a crank arm connected with said pitman, and means for yieldably limiting the movement of the mechanism as the doors approach the end of their openifig or closing movement. I

16. In a sliding door operatin mechanism, the combination of a lever, gui e means for connecting said lever with the door, said lever having one arm swinging adjacent the door and connected with the guide means and another arm ofi'set therefrom to swing in a plane: in front of the doorwa frame, and electric means for actuating sa' lever to open or close 'the' door with aslow starting and stopping movement, the fulcrum of said lever being at the edge of the doorwa past which the door moves in opening, the ever actuatin mechanism being located adjacent said e go but beyond the opening, so that said lever and actuating mechamsm ofier substantially noobstruction to the opening when the door is full; 0 ened. v e

1 a sliding door operating mechamm, the combination of a ever arm, 'de means for connecting said lever arm wit the door, a second lever arm connected with the first lever arm, at the edge of the doorwa past which the door'moves in opening, a sha having a crank arm operatively connected to said second lever arm, and means for imparting a rotational movement to said shaft to open or close the door, said shaft and the means for rotating the same being located adjacent said edge but beyond the opening-so as to ofler substantially no obstruction to the opening when the doors are fully opened, and being relatively so arranged that a uniform movement of the shaft wil impart to the door a slow starting and stopping movement with a relatively rapid intervening movement.

18. In a sliding door operating mechanism, the combination of a lever having a long arm and a short arm, ide means connecting the long arm to the oor, a pitman connected to the short arm, and an'actuating shaft havin a crank arm connected to the pitman, sai

lever arms and said crank arm being relativel so arranged that a uniform movement of t e actuating shaft will impart to the door a, slow starting and stopping movement with a by said shaft, so as to stop the movement of close the door, and yieldable limiting stops v in the path of one of the members actuated 

